Local History in the Classroom: Connecting Community & Curriculum

To get local perspectives on national and world events and topics, many mid-Hudson have been digitized. 

Sample New York State focused repositories:

• ConsiderTheSourceNY.org:  A "subset" of materials drawn primarily from NYHeritage.org geared specifically to educators and including some lesson plans, etc.
• NYHeritage.org:  A digital repository that you can search your community's name in.

Also contact your local public library, college, or historical society to see if there are digital materials that you can access.

Sample local digital repositories:

• Warwick Valley Heritage
• Dutchess County "Ancient Document" Search (example: keyword in "name", use "slave")

Students should understand that being able to read cursive is the best way to make sure you are "primary sourcing" your research. 

• Many local documents exist only in cursive.
• Transcriptions can include errors or omissions.  Always examine the original if available.
• For a lot of the early New York State documents, the originals no longer exist or are badly damaged, a result of the huge fire at the NYS Archives in 1911; the published transcriptions may be the only version available. (example: Public Papers of George Clinton; some other Colonial, Revolutionary era, record groups.)

Use free digitized local newspapers for specific curriculum topics.  Look for local instances or reactions to wider events.  Example: "suffrage."

• Invite in a member of the community who was an eyewitness to a historical event, reading the memory aloud; or tap into recordings done in the past, giving details of the local person (where they lived, where they are buried locally, etc.)